Brian Wilson to Reunite with Beach Boys for 2012 Album, Tour

Over thirty years after he left, Brian Wilson will be re-joining The Beach Boys to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The new lineup – Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks – will kick off a massive worldwide tour in 2012, along with a new album to follow later in the year. Their tour kicks off in New Orleans in April at Jazz Fest. In addition to releasing the new album, Capitol/EMI plans to release more reissues and box sets of the legendary rock group, who with Brian Wilson’s genius songwriting became one of the greatest bands in music history

The prospect of a reunion tour seemed slight the past few years, especially with the public rift between Wilson and Love. Love sued Wilson in 2005 for eight million dollars with allegations he was misusing his name and that of The Beach Boys in promoting the 2004 release of Smile. Just last year, Love squashed chances of Wilson returning, but wished him “love and success” on his future projects. It appears Wilson and Love had a change of heart, as both are excited about a big upcoming year. “This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again,” Wilson said.

Wilson and Love, who are cousins, formed The Beach Boys over fifty years ago with Jardine and Wilson’s brothers, Carl and Dennis. They went on to achieve massive success, selling over 100 million albums worldwide and releasing perhaps the best pop album of all time in Pet Sounds. They have charted the most Top 40 hits by an American rock band, to which they’re widely considered the best. Wilson last worked with The Beach Boys on the 1977 release Love You, a fiercely overlooked album with a very solid second half.